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El Salvador has become an increasingly popular travel destination in recent years, especially for its black-sand beaches, surf waves, volcanoes, waterfalls and colorful mountain towns. It’s a small country, but there is a surprising amount to do. We recently spend 10 days roadtripping in El Salvador and had an incredible experience!
There are a few things, however, that I wish I knew before visiting. During our 10-day trip, we learned a lot about driving, booking tours, weather, accommodations and how to best travel in El Salvador.
These El Salvador travel tips cover the practical things that can make your trip much easier, from carrying cash and using WhatsApp to navigating dirt roads, booking local guides and knowing what to expect from the weather and accommodations!
If you’re still planning your route, start with my 10 Day El Salvador Road Trip Itinerary, which covers the exact route we took through San Salvador, Santa Ana, the Ruta de las Flores and the Pacific Coast. You can also read my 10 Best Things to Do in El Salvador for a look at the experiences I think are most worth adding to your trip.
12 Things to Know About El Salvador
1. The official language is Spanish
Since El Salvador is just starting to get popular with tourists, you’ll find that not many people speak English well. Therefore, knowing basic Spanish is very helpful, especially if doing local tours and staying at small guesthouses.
Since my boyfriend is a native Spanish speaker and I know conversational Spanish, we talked to people almost exclusively in Spanish. If you don’t know any Spanish, download Google Translate before your trip. It will be necessary to communicate!
2. Always carry US dollars
US dollars are the official currency of El Salvador, so if you’re coming from the US you don’t need to exchange money.
Cash is still the preferred way to pay in most places, especially outside of more touristy areas. We used cash constantly to pay for food, attractions, and local guides.
Some hotels require cash payment on arrival, so make note of that when booking and make sure you come with enough cash.
3. El Salvador is a very small country
El Salvador is so small that you can reach almost anywhere in the country within 2 hours from the airport. This makes it a great roadtrip destination, as you can easily see all major destinations in just a week and you won’t be travelling long to get to them.
On the other hand, because the country is small, you don’t necessarily have to do a roadtrip where you’re changing hotels every couple of nights. You could base yourself in one or two places and take guided day trips from there instead. Santa Ana, for example, is a good base for Santa Ana Volcano, Lake Coatepeque and parts of western El Salvador, while the coast makes it easy to reach El Tunco, El Zonte and nearby beaches.
4. Don’t Expect Hot Showers Everywhere
Hot showers are definitely not the norm in El Salvador, especially if you’re staying in hostels, guesthouses or more budget-friendly accommodations. We stayed in five different places during our trip and only one had truly hot water.
A few of the places we stayed technically claimed to have hot water, but it never really got above lukewarm. This wasn’t a huge issue because the weather was warm, but it was definitely difficult to shower in the cooler mountain towns. If hot showers are important to you, I would check recent reviews or book a nicer hotel.
5. Account for Traffic Jams When Driving
Driving distances in El Salvador can look very short on Google Maps, but traffic can completely change your plans. Many roads are only one lane in each direction, so if there is an accident, construction or another blockage, traffic can come to a complete stop with no alternate routes
This happened to us while driving from Juayúa to El Zonte. The trip was supposed to take around two hours but ended up taking almost four because an accident blocked the road. So always give yourself extra time, especially if you’re heading to the airport or an important tour.
6. Pack Layers
Don’t pack for El Salvador assuming it will be hot and humid the entire time. The coastal areas can be very warm, but the mountain towns and higher elevations can be chilly, especially early in the morning and at night.
A light fleece, rain jacket and at least one pair of long pants should be enough to keep you warm when it’s chilly. You definitely don’t need heavy winter clothes, just carry an extra layer with you and you’ll be fine.
7. Be Prepared for Dirt Roads
There are dirt roads everywhere in El Salvador, and Google Maps will happily send you down them without warning. We encountered unpaved roads on the way to waterfalls, remote Airbnbs and other attractions, and some were much rougher than we expected.
Therefore I recommend renting a vehicle with 4WD, and make sure the car you’re given really has it. We specifically asked for a 4×4 and were assured our Nissan Rogue was one, but when we looked up the exact model while struggling to get down a dirt road, we realized it was just AWD. Thankfully, the car was able to handle everything we drove on, but we definitely would have felt more secure with a true 4WD vehicle.
8. WhatsApp Is Essential
WhatsApp is one of the most useful apps you can have while traveling in El Salvador. We used it constantly to communicate with accommodation hosts, arrange activities and contact local guides.
A lot of smaller businesses and independent guides don’t have traditional booking systems, so you’ll often just find a phone number on Google Maps or Instagram that you can contact through WhatsApp. This is exactly how we booked our pupusa cooking class in Santa Ana and our 7 waterfalls hike in Juayua.
9. Accommodation is Generally Very Affordable
One thing I loved about El Salvador was how affordable the accommodations are. We found plenty of nice guesthouses, hostels and apartments throughout the country for under $50 a night, which is a lot cheaper than some other more expensive destinations I’ve visited in Central America.
That said, El Salvador has some really unique accommodation options that I think are worth the splurge. For example, one of our favorite nights of the trip was at a remote Airbnb on a coffee farm, with an unobstructed volcano view. It was about $100 for the night, making it the most expensive place we stayed, but it was still cheaper than similar stays in other countries.
10. Book Tours for Popular Hikes
Be careful with older information online saying you can hike some of El Salvador’s most popular trails independently. Before our trip, I had read that both Santa Ana Volcano and the Seven Waterfalls hike could be done without a guide, especially if you had a rental car and could drive yourself to the trailhead.
That may have been true in the past, but tourism in El Salvador has grown quickly and there are now more restrictions around these popular hikes. For Santa Ana Volcano, we were told that you cannot hike without a guide and must stay with them the entire time. Here’s a great guided tour that also includes transportation, so you don’t have to worry about driving yourself there.
As for the Seven Waterfalls hike, it’s not a very well marked trail and you wouldn’t be able to find the seven waterfalls unless you knew where you were going. Therefore, you should book a hike ahead of time like this one, or find a local guide (more on this in the next tip).
11. Book Tours Locally to Save Money
Booking organized tours online can get expensive, which was one of the reasons we initially wanted to do some activities independently. But one of the best things we learned was that booking locally can save you a lot of money.
Ask at your hotel or hostel, message local guides on WhatsApp or Instagram, or ask around once you arrive. For the Seven Waterfalls hike, we found a local guide who gave us a private tour for only $10 per person. We gave him a generous tip because the experience was so good, but it was still much cheaper than many of the tours we had seen online, some which were almost $100 per person.
That doesn’t mean online tours aren’t useful. They’re definitely more convenient and often include transportation, which is essential if you’re not renting a car. But if you’re traveling on a budget and have some flexibility, booking locally can be a great option.
12. Check the Weather Before Hiking Santa Ana Volcano
Santa Ana Volcano is one of the most popular activities in El Salvador, so before our trip I was really excited to finally get that iconic photo at the summit overlooking the turquoise crater lake. Unfortunately, we didn’t get those clear conditions. The day we visited was extremely windy and cloudy, and for safety reasons we weren’t allowed to hike all the way to the crater.
We were told the wind made the summit unsafe, and the clouds were so thick there was no visibility anyway. We were only able to hike as far as one of the first checkpoints, where we were basically standing inside a dark cloud. Even if we had been allowed to continue, we wouldn’t have been able to see the famous crater lake.
It obviously wasn’t the Santa Ana Volcano experience we had pictured, but I was still really glad we went. On the way back down, the clouds cleared slightly and we finally got some beautiful views of the surrounding volcanoes.
If you’re booking through a tour company ahead of time (which I recommend) stay in contact with them leading up to your hike and ask about the weather conditions. They may be able to tell you if the summit is likely to be cloudy or unsafe and, depending on their policy, you may be able to reschedule for a clearer day.
Hopefully these El Salvador travel tips help you feel a little more prepared before your trip. If you’re still planning your route, check out my other helpful El Salvador Guides here:
- 10 Day El Salvador Road Trip Itinerary
- 10 Best Things to Do in El Salvador
- Guide to Santa Ana, El Salvador: What to do and Where to Stay
- Guide to the Ruta de Las Flores: Waterfalls, Mountain Towns & Coffee in El Salvador
This site contains links to affiliate websites, and I receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website, at no extra cost to you. Thanks!
